Jaded
by Danger Illustrated
Summary: Ever since her grandmother died, things for Soleil changed. She was left a house she didn't know existed, money she could only dream of, and her parents new bitterness towards her. If only she knew, things never go as planned in La Push. EmbryOC.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

_The Lonely Wheel_

Auburn hair shone under the bright lights of the city. It was late, reaching 2:00 am on the dot, as Soleil finally was released from her job. Not for the night, but for good. Tears glistened down round cheeks as she wiped at them furiously. She had hated her job to begin with, working late nights as a waitress at one of the local pubs. But this pub wasn't like the other pubs, it always seemed to attract the worst customers. The bloody rich, the dirt-licking poor, and the scum in between.

She blinked steadily, trying to stop the tears from falling. Once again she had been hit on for the umpteenth time, this man more bold then the rest. As she had been walking past the entrance to the bathrooms, her petite frame had been pulled backwards out of sight, too surprised to make a sound.

From there she was degraded, felt up and molested. Mustering all the strength she had, she kicked the drunken man where the sun didn't shine and walked out of there in a huff. At least he had not been successful at getting under the clothes. Being touched that way by a bum off the streets was as traumatizing as the breath that reeked.

As she reached the beat up honda civic, she gathered up all dignity she had left. Her slanted but doe-like brown eyes dried from the sudden loss of tears. Auburn hair that fell in curls was now tied up behind her left ear in a messy bun and out of the way. Her 'uniform' was worse for wear, but finally she would be able to trash it once and for all. Perhaps she would burn them upon her return home.

She took off heeled boots as she took the drivers seat. Never in her life would she be able to drive in four inch heels, even if they did make her appear to be less small.

That was one thing she hated most about herself, her size. Most women think it's a blessing to be naturally thin, short, and dainty but to her it was more of a curse. People thought she was weak, a damsel in distress, little did they know that was the furthest thing from true. Sure, maybe she couldn't take down a guy in a single punch, or hold her own in a fight with a person twice her size. But that didn't make her weak. She was only human.

When she arrived home it was half past two, the house was dark and quiet. It was small, kept up to a point, and rather unwelcoming to visitors. But to her it was home, home for the past six years. She had lived in Seattle for a majority of her life, but they had moved from apartment to house to townhouse to sharing a house to this. It was a cycle her parents had, get settled for a few years, then move and start over again.

She rolled her eyes as she approached the dainty porch, the beware of dog sign always sending annoyance her way. They had never had a dog in her life, let alone any pets. They weren't fooling anyone with the paper black sign.

Yesterdays mail sat in front of the door, the mailbox overflowing with the past months newspapers. She rolled her eyes, sweeping up the envelopes on the ground. She flicked through them as she fumbled with her keys. Bills, bills, bills, junk mail, and more bills. A small envelope fell from her fingers, flitting to the ground.

She looked down, staring at the beige rectangle. Her name was printed across the front in neat scrawl staring up at her.

Confused, she bent down to pick up the escaped mail.

_Soleil Johns_

Unable to stop herself, she moved to sit on the crappy lawn chair outside the door. All that was in her hands fell to her lap as nimble fingers moved to open the mail. Her hands shook the slightest as she pulled the single piece of paper out of the envelope.

_'To my dearest granddaughter. Although we never have met, I have watched you grow over the years. It saddens me that I never once got to hold you. You're beautiful, the spinning image of myself, but twice the beauty and brains. Everything I own I leave to you, so you can experience the beauty of the world. You deserve it all child. You deserve so much more._

_To you I leave, my house. 23 Howl Drive, La Push Washington. '_

Her eyes widened, staring down at the paper in shock.

_'Everything inside is yours my dear. As well as the money in my account._

_If, and when you receive this, please contact -'_

A number was scrawled across the bottom of the page, the name written down below it. Soleil wanted to believe this was joke, but it seemed so real.

"I'll give him a call in the morning." She told herself, it was the only way to find out the truth.

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**Authors Note: **So I meant to have this up yesterday, but unfortunately my internet was being screwy. This is just the prologue, hence the shortness. Thanks for reading! Please leave your thoughts.

**Review.** You beautiful gorgeous son of a lover.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One

Chasing Reality

Soleil slept later than she had originally anticipated. When the clock struck two in the afternoon, she sprang from bed to run around the house while trying to put herself together. She had completely forgotten that she was volunteering that day, down at the local veterinarian office, taking the pups for walks and playing with the energetic kittens. It had become routine on her days off.

Though, now she supposed it could become a hobby with her lack of work.

Soleil sighed, running her fingers through her hair as she closed the door behind her. The office wasn't far, certainly in walking distance from her shabby household. She jogged her way down to the office, stopping out front when she was still five minutes away from her volunteering shift. Her hands fished through her jean pockets, pulling out a cell phone from one and the other pulling out a crumpled piece of paper.

She had not forgotten everything this morning.

With shaky hands she dialed the number she had ripped from the letter. The first ring sent a shiver down her spine, anticipation flowing through her veins. Was this a joke? Or was her grandmother she had never met actually that kind? Part of her pleaded, the other half rationalized. She craved and denied, the feeling tearing her into two.

Second ring.

Third ring.

Anticipation grew, she resisted the childhood urge to chew at her nails. Should she hang up? Maybe this was a joke after all.

"Bender Law Services, how may I help you?" The voice was polite and airy as the lady answered the phone. Soleil nearly choked on her own breath. "Hello?" The lady was less polite this time as she listened to the breathing on the end.

"Oh!" Soleil jumped back into reality. "This is Soleil Johns, I received a letter yesterday to call Mike at this number?" Her voice wavered, unsure. Any and all confidence had left the building.

There was a pause on the other end of the line, the receptionist typing away at her computer. "Yes, Miss Johns I have you right here in the system. I can transfer you to Mike right away." Before Soleil could even thank her, the line had gone dead, leaving a beeping sound to signal the transfer. She held her breath, waiting for the other to pick up.

"Miss Johns? I've been waiting for your call." The breath she had been holding was released. "I was contacted by your grandmother Marie, about six months ago when she informed me she would like to change her will."

Soleil nodded to the phone before mentally smacking herself. "Do you have any idea as to why she wanted to change her will sir?" She asked in a shaky voice, her free hand rubbing the material of her jeans. "I mean, I've never met my grandmother before, why would she want to leave me everything-"

"She had mentioned that several times. Due to lack of contact, she removed your parents as her successors. She never went into much detail but I can say that woman had a spitfire temperament." His chuckle was deep as he reminisced about the little time he spent with the elderly woman. "She had come in the next day, a picture in her hand. It was of you, she had told me, back when you were six or seven. She said 'everything I own will go to her. Not that selfish brat of I child I raised."

Soleil could barely hold back the laughter of her own as she thought towards her father. He certainly got the bullseye there. Her father was nothing but selfish, self-entitled, and believed sunshine shined out of his ass. Her mother was much similar, the only difference being she worshipped the ground her husband walked on.

That very thought made Soleil sick. That was where her name had come from, she was the daughter of the very man of the universe and his wife. She was the sun.

But now she was nothing but rain on a cloudy day.

The man spoke again, knocking Soleil out of her reverie. "Is it possible for us to meet sometime in the next few days? I usually just do small work here within the towns, but I do work part-time for a firm in the Port Angeles."

She bit her lip, looking up at her volunteer place of choice. "When will you be in next? I will meet you then."

Three days later Soleil was driving down the highway, iPod plugged in through a cassette in her older car, windows half drawn to let in fresh air, and sunglasses perched on her nose. There wasn't a cloud in the sky that morning, the sun drifting higher and higher as the time rode past. It was almost noon, her meeting with Mike just a mere hour away.

To say she still wasn't shocked would be an understatement. To say that it was difficult hiding it from her parents was even worse off. Her boss had called the other night, begging her to come back as he had lost another member of staff. She had not been home at the time, her mother picking up the phone. When she arrived an hour later, all hell broke lose in the household. Her mother yelled, her father yelled, while Soleil looked at the both blankly.

Her only statement of choice, "I've found another job my first day is on Thursday." She didn't elaborate, no names, no places, it was just what she had said.

Now, she just had to figure out a way to tell her parents about her grandmothers will. Did they even know she had passed? Did they know and were just waiting for the call? Did they even care?

She sighed, taking her exit off the highway and into the city. It had been a while since she had been to Port Angeles, living in Seattle she never felt much need to travel to the other city. Usually, she had no reason too. Back in high school they would go to the odd party, or shopping for different clothes or such when bored of Seattle. Other than that, there was no purpose to visit the smaller city.

Soleil picked up the directions laying on the passenger seat, glancing at them as she stopped at a red light. "Right, two lights then right again and you should be there." She mumbled, looking down at the map she had printed off google.

Following the directions to a T, she arrived in the parking lot, pulling into one of the free spaces furthest from the building. With shaky hands, she pressed them over her eyes collecting herself for that moment. She had never felt so nervous to go and meet someone before. Then again, it wasn't every day your life was about to change.

Soleil pulled the keys from the ignition, grabbed her wallet from the dash, and undid her seatbelt. "I can do this," She repeated the mantra as she exited the car, locking the doors as she moved away. "I can do this."

**EMBRY**

Embry Call was never one for laying around the house on his days off. After he had finished school, he had taken a job with the police force of the county to fill his days. He worked on both 'enemy' and friend lines, but no one once questioned him for it. They never felt a reason too. As, the Cullens has been gone for years.

It was a Tuesday afternoon when they had received the call. Marie Johns, a member of the community since Embry could remember, had collapsed outside in her garden. When he arrived at the scene, there was already another squad car and an ambulance on the scene.

Embry let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. If there was anything he disliked about his job, it was moments like these. Death had wormed its way into life one way or another. It sucked out the good and left the bad. It was poison to the blood and arrived moments before only to disappear again. If it wasn't through his day time job, he dealt with death during the night as well. From rogue vampires to an oversized bear population.

Death was always knocking on his door.

But never did it come for him specifically.

It was a black rose without a card, a song without voice, and a book without words. It was background noise of the day, that left you bitter and cold as you curled up in bed at night.

It certainly was never a friend.

Embry approached with caution, looking over at his neighbors weak form being transferred by stretcher. He had grown up in the house across the street, many good and bad memories from those times. Marie treated him well, took him in when his mother wasn't around and was the support he never received from his absent father.

She was a second mom, a more present mom, she had done a lot for Embry in his past.

The lady was old, senile, yet kind and charming. She spoke nothing but ill of her own son but at the same time she spoke with love. She had created a human being that had not reflected herself in any form but she was able to love him anyway. Then there was the granddaughter she had never met, had very few pictures of but was so fond over.

In his previous years he had been jealous, scornful of the little girl that stole his attention. But the way his second mother had spoke, he felt sorry for as well.

A little girl who grew up in a loveless house.

Not much different from himself.

Embry walked to the stretcher, clasping the older ladies hand in his. "It's alright to let go mum, I'm here for you."

In the last few months his second mother had become weak, her free spirit still fighting strong but her body unable to keep up. It was a constant battle for who would win. Would she spend the day in bed or the garden.

Today was a day when her spirit had won.

Today was also the day her body had failed.

The old heart was barely beating, holding on to the slightest. A goodbye, a love, a moment with someone who cared. Embry squeezed the hand tightly. There was no need to fight anymore, she was too weak to carry on.

He spoke the last words, meaning every promise that leaked through his lips. "I'll take care of her mum, I'll make sure she is happy." He repeated solemnly, the heat from his hand in great contrast to her cold one.

"She's gone." He heard the voice of the paramedic, but he didn't leave his mantra.

"I'll take care of her."

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**AN:** I'm tired, overrun, and anxious to the max. But I got the chapter done. I actually really loved Embry's part in this.

**Review. **The wolf pack gods are smiling down upon you. Shirtless, I might add.


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